Watashi Dake no Uta
by Jaela-chan
Summary: Daidouji Tomoyo was born with endless potential and an incredible spirit. This story is a tribute to the lovely Tomoyo and follows her through her dreams, struggles, friendships, and life altogehter. Will feature some Eriol x Tomoyo and OC x Tomoyo.
1. Chapter 1: Watashi Dake no Okaasan

There's something magical about music that catches everyone up in its spell. It spreads wide and far and touches even the darkest corner of every place and time. Music is so all-consuming that everyone knows its name. Seldom does an old heart die without being touched by its resounding veracity. In this way, music is a world of its own.

Daidouji Tomoyo had always founded the sweetest of all emotions in music. Once upon a time, her mother, Sonomi, had taken maternity leave to be fully involved in raising her only child for the first two years of her life. She would sing to the smiling baby resting in her arms in a voice that was nothing strong or amazing, but merely pretty. The sort of voice a mother ought to have. Tomoyo closed her eyes as if falling asleep, but even then, she was listening. She was listening intently and taking in each word and note, each quiver and rise in her mother's voice. She collected them all like falling stars and tucked them away to fill her dreams once the singing stopped.

When Tomoyo was two years and a few weeks old, her mother resigned herself to the pressure from the ever-growing toy company that she had worked so hard to build up from the ground, from the very beginning. It's quite a stretch to take such a long leave when you're the president of a growing company, even for the sake of one's child. Tomoyo's mother returned to working tiring hours at the growing company, and the growing girl was raised by smiling maids who rejoiced in being able to take care of such a cute little girl. Do not make the mistake of thinking that Tomoyo's childhood was devoid of her mother, oh no; she spent every non-working moment with her only daughter, who was her pride and joy. She may not have found the time to sing Tomoyo to sleep anymore. She may have missed Tomoyo's first steps and even her first word, which none of the maids could quite agree on, but she was as constant a presence as she could manage, and she did catch the first note Tomoyo sang.

Scientists insist that a person cannot remember any events taking place before the age of three due to the underdevelopment of the hippocampus, the part of the brain in charge of recording memories, up to that point. Maybe, then, it was a flaw in the system or merely a coincidence that one winter night, laying against her mother's arm on a floor cushion by the fireplace, Tomoyo opened her mouth and repeated the notes to a lullaby that she hadn't heard since she was an infant being sung to sleep. She couldn't yet form the words, but the melody came through all the same, flowing from somewhere deep within her like a soundtrack to the gentle leaping of the fire.

The small girl, taken by her new ability, was surprised to look up and see silent tears glistening on the thin cheeks of her beloved mother.

"Very good, Tomoyo-chan," she said softly. "Oh, Mommy's sorry for crying. Did I upset you? Did you know Tomoyo…? Sometimes people cry because they're so happy they just can't hold it in anymore. That's how Mommy felt to hear you singing like that. I cried because I was happy. You reminded me of something very important." It was undeniable that those notes had only once before sounded so warm and delicate.

Standing slowly, Sonomi took a photograph from the mantle and lowered herself to show it to Tomoyo. "You see this lady? She's beautiful, isn't she. She used to sing that song, too, and it sounded just as pretty as you did just now."

Whether the small child fully understood or not, the photograph of the lovely woman made an impression on her. Later, she would get tall enough to take it down to look at it herself, and the thought of it made her feel like singing. She had discovered her power to make people so happy that tears flowed, and the sheer delight of it made her want to cry, too.

"Take good, deep breaths," said Itsuki-sensei, Tomoyo's vocal coach. "Singing requires a lot more air than talking does, and you're running out of breath, so you don't have as much strength to your voice by the end of the verse."

Tomoyo nodded, took a deep breath, and tried again.

"She's a hard worker," Itsuki-sensei would later tell Sonomi. "If I continue working with her, she could be a really amazing singer someday."

For several years, that's what Tomoyo wanted more than anything else in the world. "I'll be an idol," she'd say with a dreamy look on her face. She'd watch the bright-eyed idols on TV, studying the way they moved and the way their voices flowed.

With Sonomi's encouragement, Tomoyo grew her elegant black hair out longer and longer, and before long, she really did look like a little idol who'd be ready to step on-stage in a few years.

Somewhere along the way, though, her vision changed.

------

Tomoyo's eyes sparkled as she tore away the brightly-colored paper.

"This is what you wanted, right?" Sonomi's head rested in her chin.

Tomoyo nodded, smiling brilliantly. The shiny new camcorder was the very gift she'd been dreaming of for so many nights. "Thank you so much." Her normally soft voice was little more than a whisper.

"If you don't mind my asking, Tomoyo-chan, what are you going to do with that thing?"

"I'm going to make movies," she said confidently. "I have the perfect subject for my first big hit." She made a frame around her eyes with her hands, as if surveying the room for a perfect shot.

----

Author's Notes: Okay, this first chapter sort of changed on me inexplicably. This chapter was going to be completely about Tomoyo as a baby, and then as a very small child. Somehow I started focusing on her relationship with her mother, and I love the way it worked. I always felt like Sonomi was never given enough credit for raising such a sweet, talented little girl... so this chapter is sort of dedicated to Daidouji Sonomi. XD

There was more I wanted to say in this chapter, but I couldn't figure out how to say it. It really wasn't coming out the way I wanted it to, so I just decided to post it as it was before I could splice it up and do more damage to it. Because of this, I'll ask you all to please, please review and tell me what you thought. Tell me what you liked and what didn't seem right, and I might edit this chapter so I can get off on a better foot for the next one.

Anyway... Tomoyo is love, and my readers and the reviews they write are my life energy! See you next time.


	2. Watashi Dake no Movie Star

"But shouldn't you film more interesting things than just me, Tomoyo-chan?"

"There's nothing more interesting, or cuter, than you are, Sakura-chan!" She'd gone through three different video cameras, always wanting to have the latest hi-tech model. She learned new techniques practically every day and her filming became more and more professional-looking, but the subject matter never changed. As Tomoyo skipped off to class, she could already see the next volume of the video diary that centered around her adorable best friend, Sakura. She imagined getting a shot of that puzzled expression of hers from a lower angle than last time and then digitally altering the video to make the colors a bit softer. Someday Sakura would be a real star, she knew it. And Tomoyo would be the first person who had ever filmed her. She sighed in satisfaction.

"You know, Sakura, you're lucky that the person you like is best friends with your brother. It's fortunate that you get to see him so often." She grinned encouragingly.

"Un, I guess so," Sakura replied slowly. "But you know, Oniichan is always teasing me in front of him." She blushed hotly and turned her eyebrows down. "It's embarrassing."

"I don't think Tsukishiro-san thinks any less of you, Sakura-chan." And of course, there's no way he could. Tsukishiro Yukito was a kind-hearted gentleman who thought the world of Sakura. Tomoyo understood fully. After all, she felt the same way.

Sakura's shoulders lifted and her stride became more energetic. She thought to herself that Tomoyo always knew the right words to say. The thought brought a soft smile to her thin lips.

Tomoyo had been there when Sakura first confessed to falling for her brother's bespectacled companion. She would be there for her, too, when Sakura confessed her feelings to him directly, and was rejected outright, but in the kindest, gentlest possible way. An energetic girl who was always so open with her feelings would always have a confidante in her best friend. And Tomoyo, whose feelings were mostly a mystery, could be cheered merely by being near Sakura.

As Sakura walked—almost danced—alongside Tomoyo, the long-haired dreamer imagined their world inside the lens of a camera.

"Watashi dake no movie star," Tomoyo whispered. "My very own movie star." And that night, with those words on her mind, Tomoyo sang. In the empty house, no one was there to hear. Sonomi was working late. With the stars outside her window as Tomoyo's only audience, she sent out lovely music into the twilight.

"You know, Sakura-chan," she said, imagining her friend near her, "I could sing a million songs about you. A million songs just for you, Sakura-chan." Sighing deeply so that the silk covers rose and fell over her, Tomoyo slept. In a way, her vision hadn't changed one bit.

"What's this, Tomoyo-chan?"

"It's chocolate cake. Would you like to eat it?"

Sakura's eyes quickly got wide. "Of course, if it's something you made, Tomoyo-chan!"

Tomoyo giggled. She felt as though she was in heaven. "I made it just for you."

Sakura was shocked. "Just for me? But why?"

Tomoyo laughed more yet. "Didn't you notice what today is, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura glanced up at the board where the date was written and did a double take. "Oh! It's Valentine's Day!" she blushed scarlet. "Tomoyo-chan, would you…?"

Time to imagine how she might end that sentence. "Would I what?"

"Would you help me get a gift for Yukito-san? I can't believe I forgot!"

A little sadder inside, Tomoyo offered a sweet smile. "Of course. I'm sure Tsukishiro-san would love that, Sakura-chan." But inside, her heart sank just a bit. Once again, Sakura's cute affections would go to Tsukishiro Yukito. If only that sentence had been, "Tomoyo-chan, will you be my valentine this year?"

Tomoyo hid in the bushes as Sakura approached the tall figure standing in front of the high school.

"Wait for me just a sec," Touya had said to his best friend, "I have to get something out of the classroom." And at last, Yukito was left alone.

Tomoyo hit the record button on her camcorder and zoomed in on Sakura's face as she called out, "Yukito-san!" She zoomed out some and followed Sakura with the lens until she stood before her crush, hand clasped behind her back, shoulders straight and head up. She looked so cute and cheerful.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-chan." Because of the distance between them, Tomoyo had to strain her ears to hear the conversation. But that was okay; she could modify the audio file later to make the dialogue more clear.

"Good afternoon. Uhm, h-happy Valentine's… uhmm…" Sakura was saying. Tomoyo zoomed again on her blushing face, then panned to the smiling Yukito.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Sakura-chan. Did you get a lot of chocolate?"

Sakura lowered her face a little, hiding her reddening cheeks. "A little. Tomoyo-chan made a cake for me—it was so yummy!"

Tomoyo struggled to keep the camera steady. She felt happy enough to dance, but she kept her arms steady by singing out one hip and resting her elbow on it.

"D-did you get… a lot of chocolate too, Yukito-san?"

"Mmmhmm," he answered cheerfully, "my shoe locker had a few boxes, and it all looked so good so I ate it at lunch."

"H-how many… boxes?"

"Let's see…" Yukito counted on his fingers. "twenty-one, I think."

"Wow," Sakura said, her eyebrows tilting. "You have such a good appetite."

Yukito laughed.

"So, uhmm, Yukito-san, you must really like sweet, right?"  
He nodded enthusiastically. "Sometimes I wish I could eat chocolate every day, but too much sugar isn't good for one's health."

Sakura nodded. "Mm. If you don't mind, uhmm…" she shifted her feet—a detail Tomoyo was quick to capture with her camera. "You can have this one, too." Sakura whipped out a cute red package from behind her back and held it out with both hands. "It's dark chocolate, so it doesn't have much sugar. I'm sorry if it doesn't fit your tastes."

Yukito was quick to accept the gift. "Oh, I love dark chocolate. Thank you very much, Sakura-chan."

She grinned up at him, blushing adorably.

And, cut. Tomoyo pressed the record button again to stop the film.

A picture-perfect scene.

And before she could look up, Sakura was heading back towards Tomoyo, hands still behind her back. Wait, but why?

"Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said, her cheeks still pink, "I know you like sweet things, so I got milk chocolate for you." She held out a little pink box decorated with red and violet hearts.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Tomoyo-chan."

She was so happy, she thought she might cry. "Thank you… and a Happy Valentine's Day to you, too, Sakura-chan."


End file.
